Prathey Lefear Jr. and Elewa Milele enjoy sweet potato pie and blueberry cheesecake from Gregory’s Gourmet Desserts. – Photo: Tiy Todd
by Tiy Todd
This is a part of an ongoing series to celebrate Black-owned businesses through taste-testing their recommended and signature dishes in the Bay Area. Today’s feature did not disappoint – Gregory’s Gourmet Desserts.
The entry to the spot, cooking sweets with love, is located at the basement level of a building in downtown Oakland.Therefore make sure you don’t pass it up!
Here’s the front entry to Gregory’s Gourmet Desserts. Look for this handsome mural! – Photo: Earl Tips
Special thanks to Monica, Gregory’s sales attendant, for her great recommendations, top-tier customer service and knowledge of the desserts on hand!
Gregory’s is not a sit-down location, just a cozy little shop where one or two customers are served at a time. The wait in line? Absolutely worth it! You can also order ahead of time.
I brought in reinforcements to accompany me on a sweet taste test – my husband, sister, son and niece equally experienced the cakes, cookies, pies and more!
Monica shows us the delicious treats at Gregory’s Gourmet Desserts. – Photo: Earl Tips
Tiy’s reviews
Sweet Potato Cake
At first glance, this cake might remind you of carrot cake, but it’s a whole different vibe. The buttercream frosting wasn’t too sweet, just smooth and flavorful. You know that moment when the fork hits your lips, and you close your eyes? Yeah, that one. We couldn’t get enough! 9.5 out of 10.
Blueberry Cheesecake
This might be my new favorite cheesecake! The filling was whipped to perfection, and the blueberry compote brought the perfect balance, not too tart or syrupy. Topped with a brown sugar crumble, it was a dream. 9.8 out of 10.
Sweet Potato Pie
My niece did a happy dance after her first bite, which said it all. The filling had just the right amount of spice, and the crust was a golden masterpiece. Her movement of joy gave it a 10 out of 10.
Peach Cobbler
This one brought back memories of my Granny, flour on her hands, rolling dough during the holidays. The cobbler had a good crust-to-peach ratio, and my sister said the only thing missing was a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 9.7 out of 10.
Gregory’s sweet potato cake is not carrot cake; it’s not sweet potato pie. But it’s delicious! – Photo: Earl Tips
Local favorites
While waiting in line, I asked other customers about their favorite items. Top picks included:
· Key lime pie
· Brownies
· All of the cookies
· Turkey and cheese croissant
· Pastrami croissant
If you’re in Oakland, make sure to stop by Gregory’s Gourmet Desserts and tell them you heard about it from the SF Bay View. SF Bay View would like to thank the owner Gregory for letting us rate his food.
Got a favorite Black-owned food spot in the Bay? Tag us or send a tip – we’re hungry for more! ✨
Tiy Todd is a student copy editor and writer for San Francisco Bay View. She is a junior at San Francisco State University, a military veteran and a Political Science major. She shares that interning at the SF Bay View is an honor because it gives her the chance to share international affairs, African liberation and the stories that in mainstream media are conveniently ignored or their significance watered down. You can contact Tiy at ttodd@sfsu.edu.